This pair of Peter Celsing wall sconces are celebrated for their iconic design, bringing modernity into any setting. Being a visual representation of “Svensk design”, this model projects a powerful, concrete rendering of a sort of essentialized “Swedishness”.

These stylish brass wall sconces were designed by Celsing for Falkenberg in 1966 for the cultural center Kulturhuset in Stockholm. The modernistic look is achieved by the simple and smart design of the silhouette. The yellow brass bodies of this pair gently reflect the light, which can be elevated even more with diverse lightbulbs. The concave bowls are slightly lifted from the wall by the matte, black lacquered rings, giving them a floating appearance. The bulbs are placed directly in the centre of the bowls, reflecting the warm, subdued light evenly across the room. This model is equally attention grabbing placed vertically on a wall or on the ceiling.

The Swedish Falkenbergs Belysning was an excellent manufacturer of various lighting designs, with some models exhibited in museums to this day. Kalmar Läns Museum is among the Swedish institutions where the manufacturer’s lamps and their history is exhibited as part of the country’s cultural design heritage.

SOLD

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The lamps have some small marks and scratches.

Dimensions:

11.41 in Ø x 6.29 in D

29 cm Ø x 16 cm D

About the designer:

Peter Elof Herman Torsten Folke von Celsing (January 29, 1920 – March 16, 1974) was a Swedish modernist architect.

He was born in Stockholm, Sweden and studied at the architectural school of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, and at the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. Celsing has been the assistant of the widely known Swedish architect Sigurd Lewerentz. According to Adam Caruso, it was Celsing that helped Lewerentz to win the design competition for the Church of St. Mark (Markuskyrkan). This building and the later St. Petri Church (Olaus Petri kyrka) are now known as a starting point of brutalist architecture.

He later became professor of architecture at the Royal Institute of Technology. After working for some time in Beirut, he became head of the architectural office of AB Stockholms Spårvägar, the Stockholm tram and local railway authority, and designed a number of suburban metro stations. He also designed several churches: in Härlanda (Gothenburg), Almtuna (Uppsala), and Vällingby, a much-publicized modernist suburb of Stockholm.

Celsing often worked in a brutalist style with large exposed grey concrete surfaces, but occasionally combined this with large glass panes exposing the structure of the building from the outside, and interior details in wood. The best-known example of this are the Kulturhuset (House of Culture) at Sergels torg in central Stockholm (1966–1971). While he is mostly remembered as an architect, Celsing also designed furniture, mainly lighting, which reflects his talent in both architectural and furniture design. ~H.